Anya in Wonderland: Catching the Cards of Chance
by TalamhBlathanna
Summary: Anya finds herself struggling to keep up with paperwork, and falls under stress again. Something about this place is so familiar... -Sequel to Anya in Wonderland-
1. She'll Face Breaking

Anya pushed her cheeks outwards in a huff. "You're not fucking listening to me..." She held her hips, standing in front of the distracted Alfred. "Why don't you quit stuffing your damn face long enough to actually help me, bastard?"

She'd been under a lot of stress lately, her boss had suddenly disappeared, leaving her with more work than she could actually handle. She was a strong and smart girl, but there was only one of her, and she had been pushing dates back on her paperwork for weeks now. She had actually gotten excited when Alfred offered to help, so excited she forgot how lazy the American could be.

"ALFRED!" She snapped, taking a hold of Nantucket, pulling it roughly. "Fucking listen to me, goddammit!"

"Ow, hey, leggo!" He whined, dropping his burger. "What? ! What do you want? !"

"You promised to help me with my paperwork, you jerk!" She growled, her hands planted firmly on the table in front of her and Alfred.

He waved his hand in dismissal at the paperwork. "Why don't you just dump it on someone else? We can go get a burger or something!~"

He had a good idea, Anya knew it. But she was a hard worker and was proud of it. She couldn't just dump work that was _hers_ into someone else's lap. She simply couldn't. She sighed as she took her seat again, rubbing her forehead. "Alfred...I actually believed you wanted to help me this time..."

Alfred lowered his brows, and stood up from his chair just enough to lean over the table. "Hey, I wanna help." He nudged under her chin, pushing her head up to look him in the eye. "Tell me what to do, okay?" He smiled and leaned in close to her.

Anya pushed him away, growling again. "Don't you dare!"

Alfred had been making moves on her for a few weeks now, since she and Ludwig had been hitting multiple bumps in their relationship. She was afraid to actually admit she was losing faith in him, and in herself. But that's something he would surely take advantage of if she said it out loud.

Alfred snapped back in his seat, crossing his arms over his chest angrily. "Shit," he said, turning his head away. "you're still all over that kid, I can't believe you'd be so stupid! Come on, Anya, you and I both know what he did wasn't freakin' right! But you're just letting it all go down like this? I thought you were better than this." His eyes widened and quickly darted to her after realizing what he had said to her.

"You can't believe..._I'D_ be so stupid?" She repeated, the pen in her hand snapping under the pressure of her hand, bending it. "Did you really just say that to me?" she let the black ink drip down her hands and through her fingers.

"N...you know what I'm trying to say, don't get all mad about it!" He looked away a bit nervously.

"FUCK YOU." She stood up, growling as her chair flew back. Alfred's eyes widened as she lifted one of her legs on the table, leaning over and grabbing him by the collar of her shirt. "How fucking dare you say that to me? ! I'm the stupid one here, huh? At least I'm not the fat ass country everyone hates! That's fucking right, everyone _HATES_ you! And you know why? ! Because you can't stay the hell out of anyone's business! You're always saying the wrong fucking thing at the wrong fucking time, and you. Are. _STUPID_!"

Alfred grabbed her wrists, glaring up at her as he gripped onto them tightly. "Let go of me Anya! you know what I meant!"

Anya lifted him from the back of his chair and shoved him back into it. "Shut the fuck up! I don't fucking care about what you have to say, every fucking word that comes out of your fucking mouth is irritating!"

Alfred growled, and pulled Anya's hand's away from him, not realizing she left her inky hand prints on him. "I said let go of me!"

Alfred held her wrists even tighter, and Anya winced, pulling them towards herself, trying to get away from Alfred. "Stop, let go it hurts!"

She shook her head, tears pooling in the corner of her eyes. Alfred noticed the tears, and sighed, kissing them away. "Stop crying, Anya..."

"Don't kiss me!" She started to squirm, trying to escape his hold on her. "Let go of me, Alfred! Just fucking get out!"

Alfred lowered his brows, staring at Anya. "No...I want to help." He pulled her arms behind him as he pushed himself closer to her. "Even if you don't want my help..."

Anya stared at him for a second with wide blue eyes, and then lowered her brows, squirming more. "No, Alfred stop it, please! I don't want to kiss you, please!"

He pulled her more, forcing her to put her other leg on the table. He brushed his lips over hers softly. "I promise, I won't do it again...just this once..." He pushed his lips against hers.

She started to squirm and shake more, turning her head away from him after she felt him make contact with her. "No no no! I don't want to, please Alfred, let go of me!"

Alfred followed the direction she turned her head, and kept her hands behind him, her body was now pressed against his as he stared into her eyes. "I'll let you go...I promise..." He pressed his lips against her's again, and was surprised when she didn't pull away, but then realized she had left her lips in a straight line, pressing them together firmly. He let go of one of her hands, and moved his arm under her, gripping onto her bottom gently.

She gasped, and then muffled into his lips as he quickly pushed his tongue into her mouth, flicking his own against hers. She was pleading into his lips, tears rushing down her face as her free hand pushed, smacked, and punched his shoulder harshly. "No! Get off, no!" She started to whine and whimper as Alfred pushed her body down, on top of the paper work, crumpling it. "A..Alfred no, don't please! Stop!"

He ignored her, pinning both of her hands at her sides and he pulled away from her lips and kissed down her cheek and chin. He lay kissed over her jawline, slowly moving down to her neck. He let his kisses become softly and loving, but suddenly stopped as Anya cried out. "Hero, I need my Hero!"

He moved away from her, and stared down at her as she stayed laying on the paper work, her hands over her etched red face, sobbing. "A...Anya...?" He removed her hands, revealing her damp cheeks and the streams of tears that seeped out from each corner of her eyes. "No, no don't cry Anya! I'm here, I stopped!"

She started to hiccup, curling her fingers into the palms of her hands, tightly. "I...I want m..my hero. Please give him back, please..."

"I am your hero, darlin'..." Alfred tilted his head, still holding her wrists. "What makes you think I'm not him?"

"M...my," She started, swallowing her saliva nervously as she stared up at Alfred, trying to kick the edges he had lifted from the bottom of her dress back down. "my hero...would never do this...not to me, no. I want my hero..."

Alfred stared at her for a while as she cried, eventually slipping his fingers through hers and taking his seat again as she drifted into sleep, closing her tired, damp, red eyes.

Relax...

Relax...

Relax...

"Please...wake up for me, Anya."


	2. The Stars Will Shine in Her Eyes

Anya twitched, swatting something away from her, her eyes shot open as she heard a "SLAP", and felt something hit against her hand. "Hmmn?"

She turned her head to see Alfred rubbing his cheek. He was staring at her with lazy eyes, his glasses placed next to her as she straightened out from being curled up on the table. "Geez...what the hell are you hitting me for?"

"Wha..?" Anya pushed her upper body up slowly, rubbing her eyes. She blinked, her eyes half open as she looked down to Alfred. "What were you doing to my neck?"

"I got tired..." He yawned loudly, stretching out his limbs. "So I decided to rest my head on you. Hey, what kinda lotion do you use? Your skin is freakin' soft!" He pressed his nose against her arm, taking a deep breath. "_AND_ you smell like candy!"

Anya pulled herself away from him. "Knock it off you freakin' creep." She rubbed her eyes as she swung her legs over the side of the table, ready to hop off, but she was grabbed from behind. "Alfred, I said knock it off!"

Alfred chuckled as he nuzzled against her back. "I just wanted a hug, Anya!~" He'd squeeze her a bit. "Anyways, lemme walk you home, okay?" He removed his arms from around her, standing up from his chair.

"You don't need to." She hopped off of the table, looking up at Alfred as he stood in front of her. "I'm not a kid, I can take care of myself."

"Ahh, but you're still short! Someone could mistake you for one and take you away!~" He chuckled at the face Anya made, and patted her head as he gestured towards the exit. "Come on, I'm just tryna be nice, dude!"

Anya sighed and walked behind Alfred, exiting the room as he did. "I...guess it is pretty dark..."

Alfred chuckled, walking close to Anya, putting his arm around her as they exited the capital building. "Heh, that's the spirit!~"

Anya ducked under his arm, scooting away from him a bit. "Please, Alfred..." She looked up at him with sad eyes.

Alfred lowered his brows a bit, nodding. "Sorry," he smiled a bit sadly, shoving his hands into the pockets of his bomber. "I really like to hold you though."

Anya smiled back to him, and then looked away. "Yea...I know." She turned her head up to the stars, and sighed. "Ludwig told me that same thing..."

Alfred blinked, looking her up and down before setting his focus on her eyes. He loved the way the stars reflected off of them, the way her eyes color stood out in the moonlight made his heart flutter, but he shook that feeling away. "Yea...well he doesn't know how good he's got it sometimes, that bastard."

Anya shook her head. "It was a mistake, I got over it, can't you?"

"No way!" Alfred responded, glaring at the ground. "He hurt you, and you forgive him so easily. When I do something stupid you don't even let me apologize! I don't get you sometimes." He sighed, clutching his fists in his pockets.

"I'm sorry..." She slowly started to get closer to Alfred, bumping her hip against his with a bit of a smile. "It's different though, you're always doing something stupid. Ludwig made one mistake, and you've made so many before...it's hard to forgive someone who doesn't learn from his past."

"I've learned plenty from my own past, don't you try telling me I haven't." He snapped back, raising his brow to Anya. "You went to school, you should know that. We all learned from our mistakes."

Anya rolled her eyes a bit. "Yea...but that's not what I'm talking about, Alfred." She rubbed her arms, crossing them over her chest as they walked passed the docks.

Alfred looked at her, watching her hands move up and down her thin arms as goosebumps formed. He looked around before shrugging his bomber off and put it over Anya's shoulders. "Here," He smiled to her as she stared at his jacket hanging over her. "you look pretty cold, dude."

Anya smiled, slipping her arms through the sleeves. Alfred laughed, looking at her messing with the material that hung down, almost reaching her knees. "Thank you, Alfred."

He nodded to her, and looked up at the stars. Anya followed his gaze, and shifted her eyes back towards him as he spoke. "You know," he said a bit sadly. "when you were little, when I was younger...when I was back home, or when Arty was around and I couldn't be with you, I used to look up at these stars. I kept my eyes out for shooting stars, I wanted to make a wish so badly..." He chuckled a bit at his memories.

"A wish?" She blinked and then let her eyes shift up to the moon. "What was the wish?"

"Hah! Like I'd tell you!~" He looked to her, again focusing on her eyes. "Well...maybe I'll tell you someday."

"Why can't you tell me now?" She laughed a bit. "Too embarrassed?"

"Maybe." He turned his gaze back to the stars. "Even heroes get embarrassed sometimes."

"Hm..." she opened her gate, and blinked as Alfred grabbed her shoulder softly.

She turned her head to look at him, and he just smiled down to her. "Hey...Uhm, I gotta question for you, Anya!~"

She raised her brow, turning around completely to face him. "What, what is it?"

She watched as he rubbed the back of his neck, and tilted her head a bit, listening to him carefully. "Well, uhm you see earlier when we fell asleep, I guess my ride left me here or something...so I was kinda hoping I could stay at your place, just for the night and I'll leave first thing in the morning!"

Anya sighed, turning back to her gate and opening it. "I guess, as long as you leave in the morning, it's fine." She turned to him, pointing her index finger at him with a serious expression. "AND you stay in _your room _this time. None of that bullshit you pulled last time."

Alfred waved his hand to Anya as he laughed. "Fine fine!"

"Promise me, Alfred!"

"I promise!" He looked at her with his grin, and pushed the gate open a bit wider as she backed into it. "Now come on, lets get inside! It's getting reeeeal dark out here, it's giving me the spooks!"

Anya giggled as she walked to her porch, and then stopped at her door. She unlocked it and pulled Alfred inside. "You remember where the guest room is, don't you?"

"Yea, I remember." He looked around, staring at a few of the pictures she had hanging on her living room walls.

She locked her front door, and then made her way upstairs. "Good, then I'm guna go ahead and get some sleep." She smiled down to him, tilting her head. "Goodnight, Alfred."

"Heh..." He waved up to her as he backed into the living room. "G'night, flower princess!~"

X

X

Anya twitched, feeling a hand brush against her cheek. "Hm?" She opened her eyes slowly, looking up to her father. "K..Keenan?"

"Hey sweetie." He smiled down to her, and rubbed the back of his head. "Uhm...why...is Mr. America in your house?"

"What?" She rubbed her eyes, sitting up slowly. "He needed to stay the night, his ride back home ditched him."

"Well...then I suppose we have a bit of a problem."

"What?" Anya looked behind her father, and saw Alfred laying unconscious. "K...Keenan! What did you do? !" She threw her blankets off of herself, but was stopped by Keenan's hand. "H..huh?"

He shook his head. "You know I'm not this type of man..." He let his head hang down as he sighed. "But, I refuse to wake him up until you find all 53 of them."

"What? What the hell are you talking about! Let me go!" She shoved her father, who grabbed her wrist suddenly. She blinked, her eyes opening wide in shock, then she looked him up and down. He was wearing a white suit with a heart patch sewed on the breast of his coat.

He lifted her up, and swung her over his shoulder with ease, and she yelped, gripping onto his coat as he took her out of her room. "I'm sorry, Anya..." He sighed quietly as she kicked her feet.

"What are you doing? ! Put me down, Dad! This isn't funny!" She whined, and started to hit his back harshly.

she stopped and blinked at another voice. "Oi, Jake." It was her father's husband. "You'll hurt yourself if you aren't careful with her."

"Yes, I know. Did you find it?" Keenan responded, exiting her house and entering her backyard slowly.

"Mh'n." He gestured for Keenan to follow him, putting his sleeves back together. "Over here, Ai."

Anya watched the ground underneath her pass by, and then flinched as they stopped, and it got quiet. "Daddy?" She turned her head, trying to look over her back, but she couldn't see anything.

"I love you very much, Anya." Keenan sighed, and slowly started to lean forward, prying Anya off of him, and placing her on the ground in front of him, looking down into his daughters eyes. "But...we desperately need your help."

"With what, Keenan?" She lowered her brows as her father kissed her forehead.

"You'll see..." He put his hand on her shoulder, and smiled a bit sadly. "I promise, I'll see you soon." He gave her a shove.

Anya's eyes widened when she didn't feel herself hit the ground, and reached out for Keenan as she saw him getting farther from her. "D..daddy! What are you doing? !"

She flinched, feeling herself break through roots, dirt flying passed her. She closed her eyes tightly as her heart raced, and the feeling was so familiar to her.

She opened her eyes as she saw a light, and then hit the ground, hard, rolling off to the side. "G...Gahh.." She coughed, holding her stomach tightly as she covered her mouth, coughing out a bit of blood. "F...Fuck" She curled up in pain, staring at the ground.

She flinched when she saw a tiny being in front of her, waving. "Anyaaaa!~ You're so big!" the being called out to her.

_That voice, it's so Familiar..._ Anya's vision went blurry as her eyes closed, coughing again as she curled up tighter, covering her mouth as blood slipped between her fingers.

_I can't see...I'm in so much pain, oh God...please help me..._


	3. Without A Beating Heart

Anya winced, coughing as she opened her eyes slowly. She looked up to see her sister, torn up tattered bunny ears flattened on her head and a sad expression on her face as she stared down at Anya. "Nee-chan...?"

Her sister's ears perked back up as a bright smile came across her face. "Omoto-chan!" She swung her arms around Anya tightly, talking very quickly. "Oh my God, I'm so freakin' glad you're okay, you were out for so long! I haven't seen you for 6 months! how are you? Have you been eating well, you look tired! Hey is that an eye booger? What are you-..."

Anya pushed her hands over her sister's mouth, raising her brow. "...What? What do you mean you haven't seen me in 6 months? I saw you just a few days ago..."

"Nu-uh!" Katalina moved Anya's hands, tilting her head. "You've been up in the sky for 6 months!"

"Up in the what?" Anya flinched, trying to sit up, but fell back. "Oh my God...it still hurts."

"Well, that's no surprise, bro!" Anya turned her head to Alfred, who was sitting criss cross, purple cat ears twitching on the top of his head. "You hit the freakin' ground pretty hard!"

Anya's eyes widened and she pointed to his butt. "You're hovering over nothing! How the hell are you- WAIT, weren't you passed out? ! Why the hell are you wearing those stupid ears!" She tried to sit up again, and winced once more, falling back.

Alfred seemed to step down from the air and walk over to her, licking his fingers, they were tinted red. "Heh! Does it hurt that bad? I didn't think I was that rough with you.~"

"What are you talking about?" Anya looked up at him, and yelped as he pressed his finger against her ribs.

"I had to cut you open. Wanna see something cool? !" Alfred snapped back, quickly walking to the window on the opposite side of the room.

"CUT ME OPEN?" Anya's eyes widened, and she hugged herself tightly, looking at her sister in fear.

Katalina nodded. "Queen told us to~" She pointed her index finger up in fact. "She said, 'In order for her to get it back, she must find my 53!' and she told Alfie to take it out!"

"Take _WHAT_ out?"

"This!" Alfred held out a jar to Anya, her beating heart floated inside some sort of liquid.

"WHAT!" Anya forced herself up, too distracted to care whether it hurt her or not. "How is that possible? ! How am I still alive? !"

Alfred pointed to the table next to her, and smiled idiotically. "That! The queen designed it just for you!~"

Anya turned to see a small machine next to her, it was making a simulated heart beat, and there was a clock on the top of it. "What the hell is this?" She followed the wires that strung out from the machine to her chest.

"Temp heart." He said, tracing his fingers along the wires. "You have to use this until you find all 53." He grabbed onto one of the wires tightly, giving her a smirk. "And if you try to escape before finding them..." He pulled the wire out of the machine.

Anya's eyes widened as he body jolted, and she clutched onto her chest tightly as the heart beat of the machine started to fade away. She started coughing loudly, her vision became blurry. "You'll die here." He stuck the wire back in.

Anya panted, gasping as the beat of the heart started to come back. "W..what the fuck am I supposed to be looking for? !"

"53." Alfred gave her a look. "Duh, dude!"

"53, _WHAT_." Anya snapped, looking at Alfred, and then turned to her sister as she waved her hand.

"53 chances, omoto-chan!" She smiled, clapping her hands together. "Daddy and Keenan lost them down the bunny hole! Now we have to find them again!~"

"That doesn't make any fucking sense." Anya rubbed her forehead, growling. "This better be some sort of fucking joke!"

"Nope nope!" Katalina pouted. "There nothing funny about loosing your chances, omoto-chan, nu-uh!"

Anya rolled her eyes, and stared at the two as Alfred sat in the air criss cross again, folding his arms over his chest in front of her. "That's right, so you should get to work soon!"

"What the hell does a chance even look like!"

"Hmmn..." Alfred tapped his chin, his eyes closed as he looked concentrated on his thoughts, the tail behind him flicking. "Well...it's small, usually has a number on it, or a letter...and it comes in four kinds."

"Four kinds of chances?" Anya raised her brow.

"Love, Luck, Wealth, and battle." Katalina swayed back and forth as she handed her sister a side bag.

"Yep," Alfred chuckled as he swiped the bag away before Anya could grab it, and put it over her shoulder, sticking the machine into it. "That's all of 'em!"

"...Small, a number or letter, and it comes in four kinds?" Anya repeated and watched them nod. "AM I LOOKING FOR FUCKING PLAYING CARDS? !"

"No, you're looking for chances!" Alfred waggled his finger, pouting a bit. "You need to listen carefully! Now, they're scattered all around Wonderland, so you have to look up and down and right and left! All sorts a directions! In trees, in lakes, in bushes!"

"In a desert or in grass!" Katalina giggled. "In tea cups, and pots, and under the table, and in Arthur's hat!"

"Why would they be there, you stupid rabbit?" Alfred raised his brow to Katalina as she bent backwards to look at him.

"They wouldn't be!~ I just like Arthur's hat!"

Alfred waved his hand to her and then turned back to Anya, who was staring at the two with irritation in her expression. "What? What are you looking at us like that for?"

"You're mad," She stood up. "Absolutely mad."

"Well of course! We established this the last time you were here!" He smiled, snickering under his breath.

"I've never seen this place before in my fucking life." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Just take me home, I don't want to play your fucking ga-" Anya's eyes widened again, and she clutched onto her chest tightly as the heart beat started to fade away again.

"Don't say that!" Alfred knelt down to her, looking her in the eye with concern. "You have to, Anya! You'll die if you don't, and you can't die! If you die here, you'll never ever wake up! You'll have to stay forever and ever!"

Anya looked at Alfred weakly, her vision blurring again as she coughed out words. "F..fine...I'll find...your damn chances.."

The beat started to come back as Anya panted, and Alfred sighed, rubbing her back. "I don't wanna make you do it, but for the sake of Wonderland, please!"

"I said I would," She pushed her back up, forcing his hand away from her as she slowly and shakily got back up. "Don't fucking touch me, just show me how the fuck I get out of this room. I wanna get this shit over with."

Alfred pointed a very small door behind her. "There!" He smiled a bit. "But I have to do something to you, so you can fit!"

Anya stared at the door, and raised her brow as she leaned over, pushing it open, trying to look into what was on the other side. "Why is it so small?"

"Wonderland?" Alfred blinked, looking through a cabinet. "Because you forgot about it, believe me it used to be HUGE! Like, super big, dude!" He pulled out a small pill bottle. "Got it!"

"So..it's small because I forgot about it?" She looked towards him as he stood next to her.

"That's right." He held the bottle out to her. "Now, take one of these and put the bottle in your bag, I'm sure you'll need it again later!"

"What the hell is this?" She took the bottle from him, examining the label. It had the words, "Swallow Me" printed on it.

"They're shrinkin' pills." He pointed at the bottle. "Now take one and get going!"

"No fucking way." Anya glared at the bottle. "I refuse to fucking pop pills in this place!"

"But you have to!" He pointed at the bag. "Remember what'll happen if you don't?" He lowered his brows.

Anya huffed, opening the bottle. She took out one of the pills, then snapped the cap back on, putting the bottle in the bag. She looked up to Alfred, and raised her brow at the grin he had on his face. "...This will shrink me?"

"Yup." He nodded along with Katalina.

"Nothing else?"

"Nope." He shook his head.

Anya stared at the pill, and slowly pushed her hand towards her mouth, letting the pill roll inside. She gathered up as much spit she could with the pill and swallowed it, resisting the urge to cough it back out.

Anya looked at Alfred, and looked down at herself. Alfred tapped his chin, and tilted his head. Nothing was happening to her. "Oh yea!" He pulled out a small capsule full of red liquid and smirked as he forced it into her mouth quickly and forced her jaw to bite down onto it. "There you go!"

Anya coughed, it tasted awful, she glared at Alfred. "What the fu-..." She stopped, her eyes started to close as the beating of the machine became slower and slower. "Wh..what...Alfred."

Alfred's brows lowering was the last thing Anya saw, her eyes shut softly and she felt her body drop to the floor.

"_Goodnight, Flower Princess_."


	4. To Fall Into Stars

Anya's body jolted, and she groaned loudly as her eyes shot open. "F..Fuck!" She coughed, gripping onto the strap over her shoulder tightly.

She looked up to see Romano, growling at her. "Where is mio fratello!" He kicked at the bag, loosening the wires.

Anya's eyes widened and she coughed, her brows arching as she slapped his foot away. "Knock it off you fucking prick! This is the only thing keeping me alive right now!"

"Seriously, dude!" Alfred called out from almost nowhere.

Anya flinched as he materialized in front of her, sitting criss cross in the air. "Remember, the Queen took your brother, duh!" He stepped down from the air just as he did before and offered his hand to Anya.

She took it, raising her brow. "So you're some sort of magician in here?" She stopped, and looked around. "Uhm...wait, where exactly is _here_?"

"You should know!" Alfred pulled her up gently. "This is the Forget Me Not Forest, duh!"

"Quit saying 'duh' to me like it should be obvious!" Anya huffed, crossing her arms. "Which way do I go?"

"Hell if I know." Alfred suddenly took out a cuff, snapping it onto Anya's wrist. "You just gotta stick...withhhh, this guy!" He snapped the other cuff onto Romano's wrist quickly and disappeared. "See ya!~"

"A..Alfred get back here and take this off of me! I don't want to be near this fucking asshole, pussy face country!" Anya started to spin around, looking for Alfred, forcing Romano to spin with her.

"Hey, bastardo! Stop it! You're pulling on my arm!" Romano whined.

Anya stopped, staring at Romano. "Why did the queen take your brother, Romano?"

"She took almost everyone!" He huffed, his arms crossed over his chest. "She said if I want him back I'll fucking help you through this stupid forest!" He started to tug on the chain that held them together. "Now lets go! I want fratello back!"

"So Alfred's on her side?" Anya's brows lowered as she followed Romano.

"No! No one is on her side!" He growled. "He just doesn't want you to fucking die, understand? Now stop walking so slowly!"

"I can't fucking help it, I had my heart taken out earlier!"

"What are you talking about?" Romano looked back at her, stopping in his tracks, then looked at the wires trailing out of her chest. "What the hell is that?"

"I told you," She pushed the bag away from him. "It's what's keeping me alive...I can't have my heart back until I find these damn 'chances'."

"Chances?" He blinked. "How am I supposed to help you with _that_? !"

"What do you mean?"

"Oi!" He started to walk again. "No one but you have ever seen their chances! Ever! It's impossible for mad men to see them!"

"But Alfred told me what they loo-"

"That's because the queen told him!" He started to push bushes out of his way, growling angrily as twigs scratched his legs and arms. "Stupido!" He kicked a bush, and then started to look around. "Don't just stand there, start looking!" He demanded.

Anya rolled her eyes, looking in bushes and under rocks. She tilted her head and sighed, walking a bit farther into the forest, pulling on Romano as she did. "Stop pulling on me bastardo!"

Anya pushed back bushes, and stopped, staring at a wooden fence that was just beyond them. "What's that?"

"The Hatters house." He responded. "But he's not there!"

"Where is he?" Anya started to walk towards the fence curiously.

"He got taken by the queen!" Romano crossed his arms again. "Shouldn't all of this be obvious to you? After all, this is _your_ mind, stupido!"

"Pfft!" Anya stopped at the fence, looking over it. "If this place was in my mind, I'd have to be doing some fucked up drugs!"

"Possibly." Romano raised his brow as the spinner on the top of his hat started to twirl in the breeze. "Hey! What are you doing, get out of there!"

Anya hopped over the fence carefully. "I need to look or those cards." Anya looked high and low. "Nee-chan said they could be under the table or something."

"Pah!" Romano slowly climbed over the fence, glaring at her. "Sorellina must have seen something here then!"

Anya nodded, and walked towards the tea table. She jumped and fell back when she heard something growling at her from under the table. She flinched and quickly scooted back as a large white paw stretched out, feeling around for Anya. "W..What the fuck is that? !"

Romano started to shake nervously, but still had an angry look on his face. "H...how the hell should I know? Just keep looking for the damn things!"

Anya took a large detour around the table, looking in randomly placed chests and bushes. She turned her attention to the small cozy looking house before her, slowly walking towards it. "What, where are you going? !" Romano tugged on the chain.

"They might be inside." Anya responded, turning her head towards Romano, raising her brow.

"No!" He protested. "We'll be in deep shit if we enter the hatters home!"

Anya looked towards the house, and shook her head. "If he isn't home, how will he know we were here?" She started to tug Romano along with her.

Romano struggled, keeping his distance from the house as Anya peeked inside the window. She squinted, the window was so dusty, she could hardly see anything. She blinked, and perked up when she saw one of the cards laying under the leg of a table inside. "Romano, I see one!"

Romano stamped his feet. "We can't go in there! Bastardo, listen to me! You aren't listening, get away from the door! Hey!" He growled, and let out a loud yell, causing Anya to jump.

The growling started again, and Romano looked behind him, just realizing he had backed into the table. Before Romano could react the paw came out, slapping down on top of Romano. "A-Ahhh! Help me, Anya!" He gripped onto the ground tightly as the paw dragged him along the ground.

It pulled on the chain, making Anya fall. "Romano!" She pulled the chain, trying to get away from whatever was dragging them under. "Goddammit!" She winced as the clock on the machine started to tick loudly. She pulled herself closer to Romano, grabbing his hand tightly as her other hand grabbed the end of a dusty hose.

The creature was struggling to pull them any farther under the table because the house was still attached to the house. It growled and removed it's paw from over Romano.

He squirmed out from under the table, dragging Anya away with him as he shivered in fear. Both of their eyes widened as the table was pushed up and off of a large, white, wolf looking dog. The dog growled, walking closer to Anya and Romano as they backed up into the house.

They both stared at the creature as it bared it's teeth, and Anya blinked, staring at it's gums. She inched closer, and Romano turned his head towards her in shock. "N...idiota! Do you want to be dog food? !"

"Shut up, Romano!" Anya hissed, staring into the jaws of the animal. Romano turned to the spot she was concentrating on, and then noticed the dogs K9 tooth pierced through one of the cards.

Anya reached out, ready to pull it off, but fell back when the animal barked and snapped it's jaws at her hand. She lowered her brows, and reached out as quick as she could. She found herself caught in between the creature's teeth, and she winced, groaning as blood dripped from her wrist. "Fuck!" She whispered loudly under her breath, but pushed her hand farther up the animal's gums. She flinched when it bit down harder, but finally got a hold of the card. She took a deep breath, and roughly pulled her hand away from the dog, it's sharp teeth cut across her arm.

The creature sniffed at her bloody arm as she fell on her knees, wincing and groaning. She looked at the card, raising her brow. "Four...of clubs." She sighed. And flinched as the creature growled at her again. She looked up to her blood dripping off of his teeth, and lowered her brows.

Romano tugged at the chain, staring at her with a bit of concern mixed with anger and annoyance. "B..bastardo! Get over here!"

Anya ignored Romano, and held her arm out in front of the creature as it sniffed at her. "You see what you've done...?" She said, shakily to it. "You hurt me, see?"

The creature sniffed her arm and growled at it, then gently licked over the scratches and deep wound it left. Anya sighed in relief, and then looked at the chain around the creature's neck. She noticed it was attached to the foundation of the house. "H...he's stuck here..." She slowly stood up, cautiously walking to the other side of the creature.

Romano slowly followed after her, and the animal stayed still, watching them through the corners of it's eyes. "A...Are you crazy? ! You're bleeding badly, Anya! Stop playing games and let me wrap it up for you, bastardo!"

"Shhh." Anya arched her brows towards Romano, holding her finger against her lips. She turned back to the neck of the animal, and gently took a hold of the chain, examining it. It had a heart and a crown burned into the metal. Anya quickly looked around for something to cut it with, and then spotted a large bolt cutter. "Romano..." She pointed to it, and pulled on the chain connecting them as she walked towards it. "Quick, help me lift this."

"Hmph!" Romano grabbed one end of the heavy tool, and helped Anya carry it over to the animal, setting it down to catch his breath. "That thing is heavy!" He looked up at Anya, who left a trail of blood behind her and was turning paler and paler. "Anya, you don't look well! Please, let me tend to your wound and then we can cut that chain off!"

Anya wobbled a bit, shaking her head as she lifted the tool again. "Come on...help me."

Romano growled, and quickly lifted the tool, opening the mouth and laid it over the chain. "Okay, hurry! Ready?" He looked to Anya, who nodded weakly. "One...two...three!" He pushed the handle of the tool towards the handle Anya was holding, and she did the same, using as much strength she could gather up. The chain finally broke, along with the bolt cutter, and Romano chuckled in victory. "Take that, stupido chain!"

Anya dropped the broken tool on top of the chain that connected her to Romano, breaking it. The weight of the tool forced her body down with it. The beat of the machine started to become slower, and Romano panicked, running towards the house, trying to open the door. "Open! Open!"

The animal growled, and turned around, kicking at the door with his hind legs, just missing Romano as he jumped off to the side. "Idiota!" The animal gave another forceful kick, tearing the door from it's hinges. Romano quickly ran inside and grabbed a roll of bandages that was laying on the table.

Anya winced as Romano fell to his knees next to her, quickly wrapping her wrist and arm up. "Hey, bastardo! Don't you die here-!"

Anya's eyes closed as the beating of the machine faded in her ears.

XX

X

XX

Anya twitched at the touch of a cold hand pressing against her forehead, and her eyes started to open. She looked up at Romano, who was giving her a dirty look. "You almost died, idiota! I told you to let me wrap you up before you did anything stupid!"

Anya rubbed her wrist, it stung under the thick bandage layers. "...how long was I out?"

"A while." He huffed, holding out two more cards to her. "I found these in this house..." The chain from the broken cuff dangled off of his wrist.

Anya took the cards, staring at them. "The four of diamonds and the four of spades..." She sighed, sitting up. "I wonder how many other cards are here..."

"Who cares!" He growled. "Lets just hurry up and get out of here!"

Anya nodded slowly, and then looked up to the ceiling, tilting her head. "What...What is that?"

Romano looked up. "Che cosa?" He blinked, looking at what looked like a tiny dinning room table and all. "Who put that there!"

Anya raised her brow, and then sat up suddenly. "Look!" She pointed at two cards, tilting her head. "It's...the Ace of diamonds and the four of hearts!"

"What?" He raised his brow, and then suddenly spotted them. He reached up, trying to grab them, but was unsuccessful. "Anya!" He looked to her. "Come here, get on my back and grab these!"

"What?" Anya looked at him. "Wait, I thought mad men couldn't see the cards?"

"Maybe...maybe I'm not as mad as everyone thought I was, si?"

Anya stood up slowly, feeling all her weight suddenly rush to her legs. They became heavy, or her head became light.

Romano squatted down, ready for Anya to get on his back. "Hurry! Fratello is waiting!"

Anya lowered her brows a bit, and put a leg on either side of Romano, holding the back of his shoulders tightly. "Go."

Romano struggled to lift himself, but eventually got high enough to allow Anya to grab the cards.

She smiled as she reached for them, and gripped onto them tightly, pulling them from under the tiny dinning table. "Got it!" the table, the chairs, and the other furniture fell from the ceiling suddenly. Anya blinked in confusion. "But...I didn't even touch..-!" She flapped her arms a bit as she flew off of Romano's back, but she flew up towards the ceiling, breaking through it, like tissue paper. "Ro..-Romano help me!" The cards vaporized in her hands, and her pace picked up as she continued to fly upwards.

She looked up, the machine's beat racing as she stared at the stars she passed by quickly.

_"I...I'm falling...through the sky...? !"_


	5. Death is a Charade

Anya woke up at the touch of a hand against her chest. She panicked, and swatted the hand away, looking up to see who it was.

She found herself staring up at Ludwig, he was dressed in a waist coat and had white rabbit ears twitching at the top of his head. "Anya..." He said, Anya couldn't tell if he was angry or not as he continued. "Why have you returned? Have you not learned enough from before?"

"Ludwig?" She lowered her brows, staring up at him. "What do you mean?"

"At least you didn't land in The Forgetmenot Forest again. At least not with me." Ludwig pushed himself up off the ground, holding his hand out to her.

She took his hand and pulled herself up, tilting her head. "I was already there..." She looked around. The first thing she had noticed were huge mushrooms. "Where...where are we?"

"You're in The Canopy." He cleared his throat, and then looked at her wrapped up arm. "What happened to you?" He took her arm gently, examining the bandages, his brows lowered in concern.

"I was bitten by a dog..." She smiled a bit.

Ludwig's eyes shot up to Anya. "Crixcys?"

Anya blinked at the familiar name, her dog back home, who did look a lot like the white wolf she had encountered just recently. "No," She shook her head. "it was too big to be Crixcys."

"You're just too small." Ludwig looked around quickly, and then checked his pocket watch. It was shattered, like he had dropped it or thrown it. "Verdammt..."

Anya looked over the watch, and lowered her brows. "Oh no..." She blinked, and then looked to her side, staring at the bag. She smiled and reached inside, taking the machine out. "Here." She pointed to the small clock that was above a large heart shape symbol.

Ludwig's eyes widened as he followed the wires to her chest. "Anya...what the hell is this? !" He took the machine very carefully.

"...Hmm. My temporary heart..." She stared at the machine, and sighed as the beat of it went on. "Alfred took my real one."

Ludwig suddenly gripped onto the machine tightly. "He did _what_?" Ludwig growled, and pushed the machine back towards Anya. "So now you're involved with _him_?"

"What?" Anya took the machine, a bit startled by his reaction. She shivered as his eyes became red with anger. "L...Ludwig what do you mean?"

"You gave him your heart! That's what I mean." He started to walk away from her, stomping his feet against the moist dirt.

"N..no I didn't! He took it from me, Ludwig!" She quickly followed after him. "I fell down this fucking hole and then I woke up and it was gone!"

Ludwig grabbed her hand as she tried reaching out for him, and glared back at her, squeezing her knuckles. "Shut your mouth." He took the machine from her as she winced and examined it carefully. "So what happens..." He let go of her hand, and pulled one of the wires out.

He watched as Anya jolted and clutched onto her chest and his sleeve. "P...Put it b...back!"

A smirked came to his face, and he put the wire back in the machine. "So it's keeping you alive?" He stood next to Anya as she gasped, still clinging onto his sleeve. "This will be a fun experience..." He started walking again, chuckling as he held the machine in both hands tightly.

Anya coughed as she walked, she tried to keep up with him to prevent the wires being pulled out again, and she stared sadly up at him. She let her eyes wonder around the canopy. "...How many...'chances' are here...?" She finally managed to pipe up.

"How should I know?" He rolled his eyes, looking around. "This is not my mind, it's yours." He kicked over a mushroom, staring at the clock on the machine. "Is that why you're here? The collect your chances?"

"They aren't mine..." Anya looked up at him, following his gaze on the clock. "I don't know who they belong to..."

"Most likely the queen..." He sighed. "Why she wanted you to get them for her I'll never know..."

"Who is this 'queen' everyone keeps talking about?" Anya stepped over a few small mushrooms.

"She's the Queen of Wonderland." He raised his brow as he continued to walk, stopping in front of a very large mushroom. "She has been for a very long time. Since this place was created."

"When was this place created?"

"Hmmn." Ludwig seemed to be looking back into his mind. "Maybe, a few hundred years ago."

"But..." Anya stared at the mushroom before them, and blinked. "I'm...I'm not even that old, and you keep telling me this is _my_ mind. So how can that be?"

"Others have came into this place before you, Anya." He walked closer to the mushroom, and began to wipe the dirt from a spot on it. "Humans and countries alike, from all over the world." He grinned as he uncovered red and white on the mushroom. "Here, your first card."

Anya blinked and tried to dig her nails under the red. "I...can't pick it up."

"Eat the cake." Ludwig raised his brow.

"What cake?" Anya looked up at Ludwig.

He rubbed his forehead sighing as she stared at him. "You didn't get the cake?"

"No..." Anya stared at the card, she started to wipe more of the dirt off, tilting her head. She really did become smaller, the card was stuck to the trunk of the mushroom, and it was roughly the same size of it.

Ludwig reached into his pocket and pulled out a small chest, opening it up slowly. "Here...take one."

Anya looked inside the chest and tilted her head at the different shaped cookies. She took one, and then looked up at Ludwig.

"Eat it, grab the card, then quickly take another pill." He pointed at the machine. "The wires will be pulled out for a few seconds."

Anya stared at the cookie, and lowered her brows. She reached into her bag and took out a pill. She kept it in the palm of her hand as Ludwig backed away from her.

Anya took a bite of the cookie, and then felt her head become light, she stared as the ground started to get farther and farther from her, and she felt the wires pull away from the machine. She quickly dug at the dirt over the card, coughing as she tried to ignore the signals her body were giving her that her heart wasn't working.

Dig...

Dig...

Dig...

She finally pried the card from under the mushroom top, holding it in her hand tightly as her other shakily started moving up towards her face. The pill rolled into her mouth, and she shivered as she felt her eyes being forced to shut. She shook her head, and tried to keep them open.

She felt something else fall into her mouth, and then felt her jaws close. There was an awful taste in her mouth...a familiar taste.

XX

X

XX

Anya rubbed her head, sitting up slowly. She stared up at Alfred, who was hovering over her. "Heeey! You scared me there for a second!"

"Hmmn?" She looked around, the machine was starting to pick up the beat again. "Where's Ludwig?"

"Oh, he got all pissed off and left." Alfred waved his hand in dismissal. "Come on, those other chances aren't going to find themselves you know!"

Alfred jumped down from the air and chuckled, holding his hand out to Anya, who just stared at him. "The cards..." She took his hand very slowly, pulling herself up.

"Yup!" He smiled, putting the machine back in her bag, and then took her hand, pulling her farther into the forest. "You wanna go home, don't you? Remember, we gotta find the cards first!"

Anya stared at the wires that trailed out of her chest as she walked with Alfred. Her brows lowered as she stopped, shaking her head. "I don't want to..."

"Huh?" Alfred turned to her, and then stopped walking. "Wh..what do you mean? Anya, you have to! Remember you'll die if you-"

"No." Anya clutched onto the strap over her shoulder and growled a bit. "This is my mind, isn't it? ! Mine! I control what goes on here, and I want to go home!"

"But you have to save Wonderland!" He tugged on her hand a bit, looking back in front of him. "The Queen will destroy this place if you don't find her chances! Come on, Anya, you have to at least try! please!"

"This isn't fair!" Anya let her head hang. "I want my heart back! I want Alfred, and Feliciano, and Arthur back! She has no right to take them away! No right at all!"

Alfred gestured her to lower her voice, and looked at her nervously. "H..Hey! Anya, calm down, we'll get 'em back, I promise! Remember, I'm a Hero, I have to keep my promises!"

Anya flinched at his words, and then stared up at him with sad eyes. "...hero."

Anya winced at the sound of a gunshot and the sting of a hot bullet grazing against her cheek. "Nggh!" She pulled her hand away from Alfred, who's eyes widened and he quickly pulled Anya under a different mushroom.

He removed her hand from her cheek, looking at the large scrape the bullet left, and the blood that slowly seeped out of it. "Oh geez..." He suddenly pulled her closer to him at the sound of squishing in the damp dirt. He held her head close to his chest, and she pushed on him a bit.

Anya stopped moving when she heard a familiar voice, a German accent. "I missed...damn."

She shuttered, realizing it was Ludwig. Her brows lowered and she buried her face in Alfred's chest, just waiting for Ludwig to leave.

Alfred held her tightly, glancing back into the clearing were Ludwig was standing, holding his Lugar up as he searched the mushrooms for them. He urged Anya to walk as he slowly started to lift his feet off the ground, quietly.

Ludwig's ear twitched, and he shot at the direction Alfred and Anya were standing, the bullet grazed against Alfred's arm and he bit his lip, trying not to yell out. He groaned under his breath and squeezed Anya a bit.

Anya pushed on Alfred, breaking away from his hold. Her brows arched, and she curled her fingers into the palms over hand hands tightly, pushing passed mushrooms and into the clearing, staring at Ludwig with a bleeding cheek.

He turned to her and smirked, pointing the Lugar at her. "There you are." His smirk disappeared when Anya didn't give him a reaction. "Not scared?"

Anya stayed silent for a minute, and pointed at his belt. "I want my fucking cards, Ludwig."

He smirked and quickly glanced at the two cards under his belt. "You want_ your _cards?"

"Yes, I want _my_ cards. This is _my_ fucking mind, this is _my world_, you're just living in it. Now give me the damn cards." She held her hand out in a demanding motion, staring angrily at Ludwig.

He chuckled. "You're getting brave," he started to circle around her, and glared as Anya followed him in the same motion. "you can stare down the barrel of a gun without flinching."

"Shut up." Anya growled, still holding her hand out.

Ludwig stopped, staring at Anya. He took the cards out from under his belt, and threw his gun elsewhere. "Here, you spoiled little brat...come get them."

"No, you bring them here." she clutched her other hand tightly, and glanced behind her as Alfred emerged from behind the mushroom, holding his arm.

Ludwig glared at him, and then slowly started to walk towards Anya.

He stopped just a few feet away from her, and held the cards out. "Here, fucking take them...hurry up and find the others, I never want to see your face here again, you understand me?"

Anya grabbed the cards, pulling them towards her. "I'll show up as many times as I wa-!" Her eyes widened as Ludwig grabbed her wrist, pulling her closer to him. He smirked, slipping a pocket knife out from his sleeve, slashing through the wires.

Anya jolted and fell, and Alfred's eyes widened. "Anya...Anya!" He hesitated to move but then quickly ran towards her. His eyes shifted to Ludwig as he stopped, standing in front of Anya, pulling out his pistol.

Anya started to gasp for air, her vision started to fade as she heard a muffled gunshot, and saw a body drop in front of her. The beating of the machine was no longer there, she weakly reached out, trying to feel if Alfred's body was the one that fell, but her hand quickly dropped in to the mud.

Bumf.

Bumf.

Bumf.

Bumf.

"_Please...don't stop, not now..._"

"_Look at what I found!_"


	6. when You've Encountered Giants

Aching. Anya Opened her eyes, staring up at the ceiling above her. She had no idea were she was, he heard the beating and turned her head to the machine by her side. She lowered her brows at the wires that were tapped together, and then turned back to the ceiling. She flinched at the sound of a groan, and turned her head in the opposite direction. Alfred was laying next to her, his ears flat on his head and his brows lowered as he lay in pain.

She cautious reached her hand out, pulling on his ear softly. "Alfred?" She kept her head turned to him.

He winced and hissed before noticing it was Anya, and then he quickly turned to her. "Anya! You're okay, oh thank goodness."

Anya nodded, slowly sitting up. "Where are we?"

"You're in the gardens, Anya."

She twitched at the familiar voice and turned to see her father, standing at the end of her bed. "You're lucky we found the both of you when we did, you were half dead." Keenan walked around to the side of her bed, and examined the machine on the nightstand next to her. "This...is very damaged...what on earth did you do?"

"Nothing..." Anya turned her head away, and then sighed as she looked at the wires. "I'm...glad you got it fixed, Dad. Thank you."

Keenan sighed and ruffled her hair. "Anya, I won't allow you to die here. You don't belong here, I certainly wouldn't want you to have to stay in a place you don't belong."

"Oh, please." Anya turned to her father's husband and tilted her head as he continued. "This place lies deep inside of her mind, and you have the nerve to say she doesn't belong." Kyo put his sleeves together, and ducked as a tea cup was thrown at his head from behind.

It hit the wall behind Anya, causing her to cover her head, and stare in the direction the flying cup came from. She blinked, staring at her younger brother, giggling as he splashed his hands in tea. "Daddy!~ My hands are sticky!"

Keenan turned his head towards Oublie and sighed. "Maybe if you didn't stick them in tea...they wouldn't be sticky."

Anya smiled a bit, her brother was still little in this world, he still had his innocence. She stared at the round mouse ears at the top of Oublie's head, and the long thin tail behind him. "He's still himself here..."

Keenan blinked at her comment, and raised his brow a bit. "Anya, how many of the chances have you found?"

Anya rubbed her forehead, and shrugged. "Eight...I think." She looked around the room they were in, and sighed as she slowly let her legs hand off the edge of the bed.

Keenan held a box of cards out to her, and she blinked as she took it in her hands. "We've all been helping you look...or at least, the sane ones have." He explained. "We've found twenty, with your eight...you only need twenty five more."

Anya smiled and looked inside the tattered box. "Thanks, Dad."

Keenan chuckled a bit. "If I can do anything to help you, I will. No matter what it is."

"Would you scarf down a whole wet bucket of shit?" Alfred sat up slowly, rubbing his head.

Anya raised her brow, turning to him. "How mature of you." Her eyes widened a bit, noticing Alfred's wrapped up torso. "You were...you were the one that go hit?"

"Hell no." Alfred responded. "He cut me pretty bad though...if anyone ever tells you bringing a knife to a gun fight is stupid, you tell 'em that's a load of bullshit."

Anya smiled a little bit and nodded, then turned back to her father as he cleared his throat. "Anyway, back to this card business." Keenan paused, then gestured towards the machine as he let his hand rest behind his back. "I think you should be cautious when you're out and about looking for them...I'm not sure we can help you next time...Kyo was hardly able to connect the wires again..."

Anya sighed, and looked out the window into the gardens. "This place is so dangerous...with all the insane people and rabbid animals..."

Keenan nodded. "Oh yeah, it's fucking insane in this world. That's why I stay inside."

Anya rolled her eyes, and stood up slowly, putting the bag back over her shoulder and placing the machine inside of it carefully. She blinked as Kyo held a roll of bandages and medical tape to her. "Here, you'll need to change your bandages soon."

She took the bandages and tape, staring at them. "This won't be enough to cover my entire chest..."

"It isn't meant for your chest," Kyo raised his brow, opening his right eye just a bit. "It's meant for that cut of your face."

Anya touched her cheek, and winced a bit, feeling over the bandages. "...thanks..." She lowered her brows, the memory of Ludwig shooting at her came back into her mind.

Alfred lowered his brows and grabbed her wrapped up hand gently. "Let me re-wrap this for you before you go..."

Anya handed him the bandages and sat next to Alfred as her father nodded. "Which reminds me, I have something for you." He turned around and walked into a different room.

Anya's eyes followed her father and stayed staring at the door way until Alfred sighed, unwrapping her arm. "These will turn into scars...you know."

Anya turned her head to Alfred, and nodded slowly. "I know...but, they won't be here when I go back home..."

Alfred shook his head a bit. "Anya...you should let me go look for the other cards...I don't want you going out there, not with your wires all messed up the way they are."

Anya giggled a bit, shaking her head. "Stop worrying. Remember, the sooner I get this done, the sooner I go home."

"What happens if the tape comes off in the middle of the garden? Where no one can find you for days and days and days?"

"Then I'll die." She said, bluntly. "And I'll be stuck here forever, just like you said."

Alfred stared at the half healed bite wound, and sighed sadly. "I don't want that for you, no, not for you." He brought her hand up to his lips, kissing it softly before he started to wrap her up again.

Anya watched him, and smiled. "I need to get my hero back, Alfred. How can I do that if I'm stuck in this house?"

Alfred's eyes darted up to hers, and he stared at her. The term "_my hero_" threw him off. "Anya..."

Anya turned to her father as he came from the other room, holding out a chest out to her "Here, this is for you, take care of it...and don't lose sight of it, do you understand?"

Anya took the chest, nodding. "Yes sir."

Alfred finished wrapping her arm, and looked to her.

Kyo took the bandages and tape from him, and stuck it in Anya's bag with a huff. "Now hurry...before you die."

Anya smiled as Keenan kissed her head. "Please be safe, Anya."

She smiled, standing with a nod. "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

Keenan lead her to the door of the room slowly, and nodded to her. "I know you will, dear." He opened the door for her.

Anya waved to the others as she stepped out, and Alfred quickly stood up, walking after her. "Wait, Anya." He stuck his head out of the room, staring at her with concern. "Do you want me to come with you?"

Anya laughed quietly. "No, I'm fine on my own Alfred...I'm not a child anymore."

"I know..." He looked down. "I...I guess I'm just-..?"

He blinked as Anya nudged under his chin. "Hey, if there's something I need you to do, I'll tell you, okay?" She pecked his lips. "For once you aren't lazy, and I don't need your help...you have great timing, Alfred."

Alfred's cheeks turned a bit red, and he smiled chuckling a little bit. "Heh...hey, maybe when this is all over we can go get a burger, huh?"

"I don't think so." Anya turned back towards the garden, ans started walking away from the small house smiling.

XX

X

XX

Anya climbed over exposed roots, she was obviously still small. She looked around carefully, searching for the cards. She checked the watch on the machine, and sighed.

She took careful steps, avoiding letting the wires getting caught on anything. She let her head hang a bit as she slowed down, and then slowly raised it back up. She blinked, and saw one of the cards in a nest. "..._I'm still small...how am I supposed to get that_?"

She looked around before grabbing onto the stem of a flower, climbing up cautiously. She flinched, holding on tightly to the flower as it started to sway in the breeze. She stayed still, making sure it was gone before she continued to climb on the stem. She grabbed one of the petals, and pulled it as hard as she could, giving it a few strong tugs before it finally fell off from the rest of the flower.

She let go before the weight of the petal pulled her down, and she grabbed the edge of the flower, climbing up into the stigma. She pulled herself up, and slowly climbed onto one of the petals, looking up to the nest that was just above her. She panted, tired and leaned on the petal. She flinched, and grabbed onto the petal tightly as she felt the flower shaking. She heard a ripping noise, and then looked up to see a white haired man, staring into the flower at her. "Aww, look! A little honey bee da?~"

"I...Ivan!" She waved her hand a bit nervously. "I'm not a bee! It's Anya!"

"Ohhh, yes, the little country, da?" He tipped the flower over, letting Anya roll into his hand. "What are you doing in this flower? How did you get so small?"

Anya pushed herself up, standing in the palm of his hand. "I had to be small to fit through the door..." She pointed up to the nest. "Ivan, can you put me up there, please?"

"Oh? In the little birdy nest? Why?" He gave her that chilling smile.

She lowered her brows a bit, and stared up at the nest. "There's a card in there, I need it!"

"A card? Like a playing card, da?~"

"Yes." Anya looked back to Ivan. "Please, just for a second, then you can bring me back down and carry on with whatever you were doing."

Ivan chuckled a bit, and nodded. "Okey! But you owe me, da?~" He raised his arm, forcing his hand up to the edge of the nest.

Anya jumped out of his hand just before he pulled it back, and she looked at the card that sat in front of her. "Okay Anya...you can do this..." She pushed the edge of the card, forcing it to lean out of the nest. She gave it a quick shove, groaning a bit as her arms shook under the weight of the card. "This...is so...fucking heavy..." She flinched as a baby bird head popped out from the nest. "...Oh crap."

She started to push the card out, panting as she did. The baby bird started to chirp frantically. "No no! Stop chirping!"

_Chirp!_

_Chirp!_

_Chirp!_

Anya flinched as the mother bird came pecking at her. "Ahh! I-Ivan help me!" She pushed the card a bit more.

The mother bird swiped it's beak under her, flipping her and the card out of the nest.

Anya's eyes widened as she fell, still holding th card. "Eep!" She landed on Ivan's shoulder as he sniffed at a flower.

He looked at his shoulder at Anya, who was breathing heavily, the machine beating very quickly by his ear. "Oh, Anya! I can even hear your tiny heart beat!" He chuckled as he slowly slipped the card off of his shoulder and into his hand with Anya still holding onto it. "Okey, I've helped you, may I go now?"

Anya stared at the card and then to Ivan. "I can't carry this by myself, Ivan..."

"Okey! I'll tell you what." He took the card from under Anya, and stuck it in his pocket, and then placed her on his shoulder. "I'll take you through The Gardens, and you give me something in return, da?"

"Well...that depends." Anya held onto his collar tightly as he started to walk. "What do you want?"

"How about some money?" He chuckled.

Anya tilted her head, staring at Ivan. "How much...?"

"How about, 4 million?"

Anya's eyes widened a bit more. "I don't have that much to give, Ivan."

"Darn..." Ivan kept his chilling smile as he walked on. "I'll think of something you can give me then."

She nodded, looking around on the ground below her as he walked on.

She pointed at the ground frantically. "Ivan, stop, there's one right there!"

Ivan stopped and blinked, looking at the ground. "Hm? I don't see anything, little bee!"

Anya slid down his arm, and climbed into his hand as he held it out for her. "Lower me, I'll grab it!"

Ivan knelt down, lowering his hand onto the ground, watching her kick the dirt off of a card. "Ohh! There it is, little bee!"

Anya smiled and tried to lift the side of it, but found herself stumbling back. "Oof!" She rubbed her head as she sat back up. "I think I hit my head on a rock..." She muttered to herself.

She stood up smiling as she stepped towards the card, her eyes widening as she felt herself falling back. "Whaa-?" She looked around as something started to close around her, realizing she had fallen in a fly trap. "Ivan! Jesus, help me!" She pushed the side of it's mouth, trying to keep it open.

She felt the trap close around her, and flinched as she felt the plant shake. She looked up as the mouth started to be forced open, and saw Ivan prying it apart. "You can't eat my little bee friend, stupid plant!"

Anya grabbed onto Ivan's finger as he kept the plants mouth open wide. She climbed into the palm of his hand and watched at he pulled the plant from the ground, throwing it across the garden. She smiled as Ivan picked up the other card, and clapped her hands together. "I can't thank you enough Ivan!"

He chuckled, and nodded as he waved the card in his hand. "Anything I can do to help my bee friend, da?"

Anya nodded, smiling, and then felt herself being blown back as the card materialized in Ivan's hand.

She flapped her arms as the machine started to beat quickly. She closed her eyes tightly, and winced as she felt a shock go through her body. "Nggh!" She clutched onto the strap over her shoulder.

Falling...

Falling...

Falling...

She didn't feel herself hit the ground, she slowly opened her eyes, and then gasped as another shock was sent through her body, the tape connecting the wires was coming lose, the beat was slowing down. She weakly pressed the wires together, panting.

"_Help me..._"


	7. This is Your Punishment

Okay, there's sooooome, inappropriateness but really not a lot, nothing too terrible. Actually there not really anything that bad at all.

Anyways, that's my warning, PESHHH!~

* * *

><p>Anya's eyes opened slowly to the sound of a torch, she turned her head, blinking at the man melting the plastic around her wires, and molding them together. "That should do it..." He smiled, and turned his head to her. "I'm glad to see you're awake, Anya. I thought you were a goner."<p>

"...A lot of people seem to be saying that today." She rubbed her head and then took a second glance at the red haired man. "...Patrick?"

"That's right, love." The Irish man stood up from his crouching position with a grunt, then twisted a bit, cracking his back. "I'm glad to see all this trouble with your heart hasn't fucked your brain up.~"

Anya sighed and nodded slowly. "Yea...though I feel like I've already lost my sanity by staying here this long..."

Patrick blinked, and then reached into his pocket slowly, pulling a cigarette out. "What a shame," He said, lighting the end of it after putting it in his mouth. "you're mind used to be so beautiful. But you know, Wonderland is a fucked up place...so it's no surprise." Patrick chuckled a bit, inhaling, and blowing out the smoke away from her. "What's with the bandages, love?"

Anya blinked as he gestured towards her arm and cheek. "Oh...Uhm, nothing."

"That's a lie." He sat in the chair in front of her. "I know about the Ludwig thing, crazy bastard...but what's with your arm?"

Anya rubbed her arm. "Uhm...a dog bit me."

"Crixcys?" He raised his brow, taking a drag from the cigarette again.

Anya looked up at him and nodded a bit. "He seems to be well known in this world."

"He eat the Queen's last husband."

Anya's eyes widened, the calmness in Patrick's voice was unsettling. "So...is that why he was chained up at the Hatter's house?"

"Yup..." Patrick laughed a bit. "I heard some Italian idiot let him go free. They're going to chop his head clean off now."

"What? !" Anya sat up suddenly, staring at Patrick with wide eyes. "But it...it wasn't Romano's fault!"

"Who else could have done it if it wasn't him? He's the only one would could have done it around that area!"

"No..." Anya turned her head away a bit. "It was my idea, the poor thing was chained up and I wanted to let him go, Romano only helped me." Anya looked up at the exit of the house and quickly stood up, putting the machine in her bag. "I have to go find him, I can't let him die for something that wasn't his fault!"

"It was you?" Patrick's eyes narrowed as he stood from his chair, staring down at her with a bit of anger.

Anya shrunk a bit, lowering her brows. "I..."

"You defied to Queen's orders?" He pushed her back. "I always knew you were a damn trouble maker!"

Anya winced as he grabbed her throat, and kicked at him, whimpering in fear. "P..Patrick, get off me!"

Patrick growled a bit, squeezing her neck a bit, closing her throat, letting the beat of the machine increase. "I knew I should have taken care of you that long ago, you evil little brat!"

Anya trembled under him, shaking her head, trying to gasp as she continued to kick at him.

Patrick was pulled away from Anya suddenly, allowing her to take a big deep breath, coughing loudly as she laid, rubbing her throat. "Oi, Patty! What did I tell you about touching her like that? !"

Anya's brows lowered as she slowly sat up, sniffing. She stared at another red haired man, who was holding Patrick back away from her. The red headed man looked to her, pushing Patrick onto the floor, stepping on his back to keep him there. "Hey, there. Are you alright?"

Anya nodded, staring at him, trying to recognize his face. "Yea..."

"Have you hear'da me?" The red head chuckled a bit, pointing at himself. "Aidan, Scotland?"

Anya nodded, smiling a bit. "I remember you, Aidan." She looked at Patrick, who was still squirming on the floor.

Aidan waved his hand in dismissal to him. "Don't mind him, he's short tempered. Stupid Do-Do." Aidan chuckled and twirled the cane he was holding in his hand while inhaling the toxins from a cigarette from the other. "So," He said, blowing the smoke in her face. "Who are you?"

Anya coughed, fanning the smoke away from her face. "I...'m Anya."

"Ahh," Aidan nodded, looking her up and down. "You're the one everyone's making a fuss about, hm?" He removed his foot from Patrick's back and circled Anya. "You don't look healthy, in fact, you look unhealthy." He lifted her arm with the end of his cane. "So torn up, so boney." He stopped in front of her, staring into her eyes. "Ahh, but even looking on the outside is nothing compared to the inside." He pulled the cigarette to his lips again, blowing the smoke in her face. "You're so broken, your eyes appear to be one solid color but I see passed that."

His smirk sent a chill down Anya's spine, staring into his dark blank eyes. She turned her head away, lowering her brows. "What? What are you talking about?"

"You, your stress...your pain, and everything you worry about is written all over your face, and it's the glossiness over your eyes. You hide it so well from everyone else, have you actually fooled yourself?"

Anya twitched, shaking her head. "W...Wha- can I just go now? I need to go...find something."

"The chances?" He chuckled a bit, nudging under her chin with his cane, pulling her head to look at him. "Why do you want them? For your heart? For Alfred?"

"I just want to go home..." Anya turned a bit red, trying to pull her head away.

Aidan held her head there, staring her in the eye. "You're over working yourself again, Anya. Isn't that the reason you fall into this place? These situations? Why don't you take a nap...just lay down for a while..."

"No..." Anya pushed on Aidan. "I just want to go find the cards, I wanna go home. Let me go Aidan!"

Aidan chuckled, pushing her back down onto the bed she had been sitting on before. "Just close your eyes, for a minute, for two..." He pushed her onto her back, and tried to push his leg between her knees as she pressed them together.

"N...no! No, get away from me!" She threw her fist up in a punching motion.

Aidan caught her by her wrist, grabbing her other before she could move it again, pinning them above her head. "I don't think so, you defied the queen, this should be a punishment suited for you..." He pushed through her knees, forcing them open enough to allow him to put his leg between them. Aidan leaned down, messing with his hands as he shifted both of her wrists under his single hand, taking the cigarette in the other, he sucked from the end of it one last time, then dragged the lit tip of it across her cheek, causing Anya to whine, flinching in pain.

Anya squirmed, trying to knee his crotch, but he caught her leg in between his own just before it hit him. "Aidan, stop it!"

Aidan flicked the cigarette away from them, and looked behind him as Patrick stood up. "Go get a rope or something."

Patrick, nodded, rubbing his stomach as he walked out of the room, leaving Aidan there, pulling the end of the ribbon Anya had around her waist loose, sighing. "Your body is so cute..." He stared down as he slipped the ribbon away from her body. "So...childish, innocent, under-developed." He swooped down, stealing a kiss from her.

Anya shook her head, muffling as she kicked at him with her free leg. She gasped when her ankle was grabbed, and tied to the other one. "Hmph..." Patrick crawled onto the bed, quickly tying Anya's wrists together, then tied the rope tightly to the head of the bed. "There, now hurry up."

Aidan smirked, staring down at Anya, holding up a card to her. "You want to go home don't you? You want to get all of your chances...?"

Anya's eyes widened a bit as she stared at the card. "Aidan, I need that!"

He watched her try to lift her body and laughed. "I might give it to you," He leaned down close to her ear. "if you beg for it."

"No!" Anya squirmed angrily, pulling at her wrists. "Give me the fucking card and let me go, dammit!"

Aidan tsk'd, and pressed the sharp edge of the card to her collar bone, slowly swiping it across. "Come on..." He smiled as blood slowly seeped from the cut he left.

Anya winced, shaking her head. "No, get off!" She whimpered, staring at the card before closing her eyes tightly. "Let me go! I wanna go home!" The machine's beat started to increase again, and she tried lifting her legs in a kicking motion. "I want my hero!"

"Hero?" Aidan licked over the cut roughly. "You're still convinced he's a fucking hero? He's no hero, he's a damn fool." He'd bite the skin around the cut, as if he was trying to pierce through her. "who in the right mind would want to deal with _everyone's_ problems?"

Anya kept her eyes closed tightly, biting her lip, trying not to make any other noises. "At least he..._can_ help...everyone..." Anya opened her eyes, tears trailing down her cheeks as she gasped, squirming more at the sensation of his hand pressing against the lips of herself through her panties. "Stop! Get off, Aidan!" He face turned a bright red.

She tried closing her legs on his hand, but he held them apart, drooling a bit as he tugged her panties down. "Shut up...you should have begged for the card, now I want something else for it.~"

"No, I don't want to, get off of me!"

"Like I care..." Aidan traced his finger over torso of her dress, staring at her chest as he pushed the skirt of it up. "You don't belong here, and you've broken the rules, this calls for a punishment." He ripped the front of her dress, exposing her wrapped chest, and the wires. A smirk came to his face, as he slowly started to rip the bandages. "What a nasty sight this must be...that Alfred is sloppy."

Anya's eyes widened a bit, and she growled. "Don't, don't, don't! You'll mess it up, Aidan, please, stop, please!"

"Hah!" Aidan laughed, ripping it the rest of the way down. "You decide to beg, now? It's a little late for that, love. My apologies." He pulled the bandages away, raising his brows at the sight. "Hmmn?"

Anya looked down at herself, her chest had healed around the wires.

"Hmph..." Aidan traced over the spot the wires sprung out from, causing Anya to shiver under him. He stared at her bare chest, and pressed his fingers against her area again. "This is unattractive, isn't it?~"

Anya yelped, turning her head away from him. "I didn't ask you to fucking look, now get off!"

"Heh...I'm having too much fun..." Aidan pulled on the wires a bit, and Anya's body was forced up, like a marionette doll.

She winced, whimpering as the wires pulled on her skin. "S..stop! that hurts, please!"

Aidan chuckled a bit, and continued to pull on the wires. "Why should I-...?" He lifted his head up, listening to something. "What the hell?" He lifted his body a bit, then ducked back down as the wall of his house was kicked down. The debris flew across the room, falling on Patrick.

Aidan's eyes widened when he saw Alfred angrily jumping down from Crixcys' back, walking towards him as he crawled off of Anya. "What the hell are you do-!"

Alfred quickly threw his fist across Aidan's face, growling. "Shut the fuck up."

The force of the punch caused Aidan's head to turn, along with his body, loosing his balance and falling on his floor. He spit out blood as he watched Alfred crawl over Anya, cutting the ropes from around her wrists.

"You oka- !" Alfred was pulled off of her, and Aidan tried to grab the knife from Alfred's hand. Alfred flipped the knife quickly, then threw his hand back, stabbing Aidan's side."Fuck..OFF!"

Aidan's hold on Alfred loosened, and as soon as it did Alfred quickly pushed him away, going back to Anya, cutting through the rope on her arms and legs.

Anya threw her arms around his neck once she was freed, and Alfred grabbed the machine and card from the sheets. "Fucking drunk losers." He growled as he ran over to Crixcys, holding Anya in his arms tightly as he climbed back onto the dogs back, letting him ran through the flowers, away from the house.

He st down, placing Anya in front of him, his free arm wrapped around her torso tightly, holding the top of her dress together, while his other held onto Crixcys tightly to keep them from falling off.

XX

X

XX

Anya rubbed her eyes, sitting awkwardly hugging her legs around a fire the Alfred built.

He watched her carefully before sighing, his ears flattening on his head as he slowly scooted closer to her. "Hey...are you okay?"

"Yea..." Anya nodded. Her body was now covered in the rest of the bandages Kyo had given her earlier. "Alfred...you got the card didn't you?"

"The card...oh, yea I did." He pulled the card from his pocket, handing it to her with a smile. He handed the card to her, his tail wrapping around her waist lightly. "Anya, I have some good news about the cards.

Anya took the card, looking at Alfred's tail. "What about them?" She lifted his tail from around her, sighing as she left it at his side.

His brows lowered a bit as he let his tail fall limp at his side and his ears flatten. "Well, uhm. The rest of the cards are with the queen, currently. The last twenty four..."

Anya smiled a bit. "That's great! So can I get my heart back? And Alfred? And I can go home, right?"

"Not...quiet." He rubbed his neck. "See, some douche bag's been lurking around the canopy and the courtyard saying you've been defying the queen..."

Anya flinched and looked at Alfred sadly. "So...what now?"

"You're going to be tried...if they find you guilty, they'll have your head, along with Feliciano and the others. If they find you not guilty, they'll let you go home."

"How many times am I going to be pulled back here like this, Alfred?"

"Hopefully you'll never have to be pulled back here...I know how much y-..." There was a loud "THUD", and Alfred's body fell limp in front of the fire.

Anya's eyes widened. "Alfr-..!" Anya was hit, the impact forced her body to fall onto the ground next to Alfred. She stared at him, the beating of the machine slowly fading in her ears along with voices.

"_No...no not again..._"


	8. Free Your Mind, Free Your Body

"_Wake up..._

_Wake up..._

_Please, wake up_."

Anya shuttered to the sounds of chains rattling and whispering. "Shh! Don't wake her dude, she needs to rest!"

"What if she isn't sleeping?" Whoever it was seemed to be speaking to themselves. "What if she's like...dead or something? !"

"She isn't dead, duh! She can't be, she's still breathing!"

"Zombie! OMG!"

"Shut the fuck up already..." Anya muttered, her head still hanging.

She heard a gasp as the voice became clearer now. "Anya, you're okay? !" Alfred asked.

"ZOMBIIIIE!" He yelled.

Anya looked up angrily. "I said shu-..." She blinked, staring at the two Alfred's in front of her. "What..."

Alfred's ears perked up, his tail flicking a bit as he was Anya looking up. "I'm so freakin' glad you're alright! I thought you were a goner for sure!"

Anya raised her brow as the other Alfred kicked his feet. "DUDE, DON'T EAT MY BRAINS, PLEASE!"

"Why the hell would I do that?" She turned her head away, she looked up to see her hands chained together above her. She growled a bit, pulling on them. "What the fuck is going on here? Why am I chained up?"

"We're all chained up, bastardo!" Romano huffed from beside her.

She turned, startled by his sudden outburst, and stared. "They haven't killed you yet! Oh thank God!"

"Hmph! They won't kill me if they know what's good for them! Spain will not allow it!" He started to tremble a bit. "Unless the idiota forgets to fucking come save me!"

Anya smiled a bit sadly, and then looked around. The room they were in was dungeon like. Her back was facing a cold brick wall, and the floor behind her was nothing but dirt. "Where are we...?"

"The courthouse..." Alfred said, his ears drooping a bit. "I told you, you were going to be tried."

Anya sighed heavily, looking around before pulling on her wrists again. "This is bullshit..."

Alfred poked Anya with his foot. "Hey, what's all this about you being tried and courthouses and shit?"

Anya blinked and looked up at him. "What? Oh..." She looked at the other two, not sure how to explain this to Alfred. "I...I'll explain later..."

Alfred lowered his brows, and stared at her. "Why can't you tell me n-...?"

He was cut off by the cellar door opening suddenly.

Anya blinked and turned to the door as a man walked inside, looking at the three males and Anya. Once his eyes where set on her, he walked closer. "Heh...Are they treating you alright, Liebie?"

Anya's eyes widened at the voice, and she kicked her feet a bit as she was lifted up to her feet. "Don't call me that, you fucking monster!"

Both Alfred's glared at Ludwig as he took the cuffs off of Anya's wrist, then quickly grabbed her wrists again, cuffing them with smaller ones. "Oh shut up, this is your fault in the first place." He stared at her angrily as he tightened the cuffs around her wrists. "You shouldn't have been a dirty cheater."

"What!" Anya winced a bit as he pushed her towards the exit. "What in the world are you talking about? ! I never fucking cheated on me, you're the bastard that cheated!"

Ludwig shook his head. "Nein. You're the one who cheated."

Anya growled as he pushed her down a hallway after closing the cellar door behind him. "You fucking Feliciano, and then asked him to marry you, _THAT'S_ worse than anything you _THINK_ I did!"

Ludwig snorted as he pushed her into a yard, leading her through rose bushes and passed men armed, and dressed in white suits. Each suit had one of four symbols sewn into the breast of their coat with a number or letter inside.

Anya stared at the stand that Ludwig left her standing in front of, and then looked around at the jury that was made up of animals, and half people. She lowered her brows as she looked towards the Judges stand, and then perked up at the cage that was set by the side of it. It was crowded, Feliciano, her father, his husband and her brother stuck inside of it. She turned to a door that opened to the side of that, another cage with Romano and the Alfred's inside of it. Alfred shook the bars, yelling in protest as the other sighed, crossing his arms over his chest, flicking his tail.

"All rise..." Anya turned her head back to the Judge's stand and blinked as she watched a woman stepping up into it.

"Take your seats..." The woman said after sitting down herself. She stared at Anya coldly. "Hello again, Anya."

Anya's brows arched at her voice and familiar face. "Sam..."

"That's...your majesty to you."

"Your Majesty." Anya scoffed. "You'll be lucky if I don't slip up and call you shit face during this stupid trial."

The jury gasped at the words and started to whisper among each other.

"You'll be lucky to still have your head by the time this is over, you spoiled little brat!" Sam hissed.

Anya made a strange noise, and spit towards her. It landed near Sam's hand on the stand, and she glared at her. Sam gasped in disgust as she moved away from it, and then glared back at Anya. "Disgusting commoner."

"Filthy rich pig!" Anya growled.

Ludwig held his hand out to Sam. "Your majesty, we should get this trial going before sundown."

Sam nodded, and then stared at Anya as another half person wiped the stand off for her. "Anya Gallagher, you're being accused of grand theft, murder, and defiance. How do you plead?"

Anya turned her head away, grinding her teeth. "Not Guilty."

"Well, I believe you're guilty. Does anyone else agree?" Sam turned to the Jury, who stopped whispering and started nodding.

"That isn't fair!" Anya growled. "How can you prove that I killed, stole from, or defied anyone!"

"Shut up, stupid girl." Sam sighed, and waved her hand in dismissal. "Off with her head, next."

Anya stared angrily as they brought the Alfred's and Romano out of the cage, and also at the men in suits that grabbed her by both arms and pulled her away from the stand. "NO!"

Sam watched as Anya kicked at them. "What? What is it now? Shouldn't you be dead or something?"

"This isn't fucking FAIR!" Anya glared at Sam.

Sam scoffed. "_Fair_? This doesn't have to be fair if I don't want it to be, this is my land, I've ruled it since forever!"

"NO," Anya pulled her arms away from the two men, standing straight. "If I've learned ANYTHING from being in this God Forsaken place, it's that this is MY land, this is MY world." She stepped closer to Sam, and she watched her, raising her brow. "This is MY mind. Not yours, you have no right to rule over something that is MINE." Anya lifted her hands in a pointing motion towards Sam's head. "That is MY crown, because in my mind, I'M THE QUEEN, not you. I control my thoughts."

Sam stared at Anya as she stood, panting in anger.

One of the Jurors stood. "I...agree..."

Sam turned suddenly, as her eyes widened, and the others started to whisper and stand with him. Anya smirked as Alfred's ears perked up, and he vaporized, reappearing and hovering over Sam as he grabbed the crown from her head. "Yoink!~"

Sam tried to grab at Alfred, but floated off towards Anya, and dropped the crown in her hands. Anya stared at Sam. "Let them all go, all of them." She turned to the men in white, and they hesitantly complied, opening the other cage, freeing Keenan and the others.

Anya held tossed the crown to Keenan, how caught it, and stared at her as she held her cuffed hands out to the men. "Take these off, now."

Again, they hesitated.

She rubbed her wrists once they were off, and then looked up at Sam. "I'll have no more of you in my mind, so go vanish, get eaten by Crixcys, why don't you?"

Sam huffed, crossing her arms. "No! I'm still Queen here!"

Anya gestured for the men to take Sam away, and they nodded, and grabbed Sam's arms tightly. "Let go of me!" She kicked her feet angrily as they dragged her to the entrance of Wonderland.

Anya smiled a bit and turned her head to Keenan, who sighed in relief. "So...we're finally free, huh?"

Kyo opened his eyes just a bit. "Hmmn, I suppose so, unless Anya says otherwise."

"Hmn?" Anya blinked, tilting her head a bit. "What do you mean? Keenan's the one holding the crown."

Keenan looked down at the crown in his hand, and raised his brow. Anya giggled a bit, and closed her eyes as she played with the wires a bit. "I know you'll be a great leader here, just like you are outside of here."

Keenan chuckled a bit, and Arthur walked out from one of the bushes, holding a tea cup in his hand, and the jar with her heart in the other. "Does anyone want any tea? It tastes a little off, but it's still very sweet.~"

Anya blinked, pointing at the jar. "Arthur, have you been drinking from that?"

"Yes..." He held it up to her. "Funny looking tea bag isn't it?"

"That's my heart, Arthur!" Anya quickly snatched the still beating heart from him, raising her brow.

"Heh..." Alfred stepped up, standing next to her. He slid his arm around her shoulder. "So...mind telling me where we are now?"

"Wonderland." Anya replied, rolling her eyes. "Duh, Alfred."

He blinked, raising his brow. "Wonderwhat?"

Anya giggled a bit, and then looked at everyone in front of her.

Keenan shuffled the cards, chuckling. "Ready?" He spread them out, holding them out to Anya and Alfred. "Pick a card!"

Anya raised her brow, and pulled a card from the deck. Keenan quickly snatched it, looking at the choice she made, then showed it to Arthur, who snickered. "Ready to go home, Anya?"

He pulled her forward, dragging Alfred along with her. "Uhm...I guess..."

Arthur stopped her in front of the bush, and smirked. "You two be safe, and good luck!~"

"What are yo-..A- Arthur!" Anya winced as Arthur pushed both of them into the bush he had come out of, and her eyes widened as she felt herself falling through nothing. Alfred held onto her tightly, yelling loudly as Anya screamed, the machine was pulled away from her, being caught on a root. Anya gasped as Alfred broke the jar, and quickly grabbed the heart, pushing it against Anya's chest involuntarily.

The skin around her heart slowly glowed, allowing her heart to sink inside of her. Anya flinched, and groaned as her heart started to beat quickly, her eyes closing, Alfred lost his hold on her.

Falling...

Falling...

Falling...

X

XX

X

Anya's eyes slowly opened, and she panicked as she felt her body falling. She reached for anything, anything at all the keep her from falling. "Eep!" She fell off the table with crumpled papers in her hands. she was surprised when she didn't hit the ground, but fell on something squishy.

"Oof!" She heard underneath her.

She quickly sat up, looking down to see Alfred, rubbing his stomach. "Dude, that hurt! How much do you weigh again?"

Anya stared at him as he sat up, her bottom sliding into his lap. "Alfred..." she threw her arms around her neck. "OH! It was just a dream, the goodness!"

Alfred turned a bit red, a surprised expression on his face as he slowly wrapped his arms around Anya's waist, snickering. "Yea, you fell asleep a while ago, darlin'. You twitch a lot in your sleep, you know?"

Anya laughed a bit, squeezing him a bit. "When you have a dream like I had...it's bound to happen.

Alfred chuckled, and then blinked, picking something up from behind Anya. "What's this?"

Anya pulled away from him, and looked at his hand.

A card, and the word "Wonderland" printed at the top, with a painted picture of Anya taking directions from the white rabbit.

Alfred and Anya raised their brows, and stared at the card.

"..._was it a dream_?"

* * *

><p>The End.~<p> 


End file.
